Happier
by xXMiss.BrightSideXx
Summary: "I wanna see you smile but know that means I'll have to leave." Sherlock gets the idea that Molly is better off without him. Rated only for a curse.
1. Chapter 1

_**Based on the song "Happier" by Marshmello and Bastille**_

It had been a few months since Sherlock gathered his courage to finally ask Molly Hooper to dinner. To say that he had been overjoyed since then would be an understatement. He practically walked on air. He nearly spouted off poetry. He almost smiled at people. Life had never been better for him.

"It's that Consulting Detective! The one with the hat!" whispers had always followed him, but now, they added something else as well. "Wonder if he's finally moved on from John. He seems much better these days."

Even with the John comments, he managed to be happy that so many people were happy for him and Molly.

"If there's anyone suited to being with you, it's Molly," Lestrade agreed, smirking when he caught them making out in the morgue.

Donovan had been a bit more cautious. "You better not hurt her, Freak. She deserves better than you."

(Molly hadn't been happy with her words. There had been a catfight to end all catfights right over the cadaver, where his pathologist had verbally torn the Sargent to shreds.

And if he went home and showed her his appreciation in ways that had Mrs. Hudson banging on the floor with her broom, well, that was between them and their landlady.)

John and Mary were almost as happy as Sherlock was when the detective decided to man up and do something about the woman crazy enough to love him through everything.

"She's the best thing that's ever happened to you Sherlock. Don't fuck this up," John warned.

Mary, however, disagreed. "She's happy just having you Sherlock. Don't ever doubt that."

But he was Sherlock Holmes. And if there was one thing he was good at, it was ruining his own happiness, ruining the best things that ever happened to him. And lately, he'd noticed that Molly wasn't nearly as happy as he was to be in a relationship with him.

Sure she still smiled at him, and brought him body parts, and appeared to enjoy the physical aspect of their lovemaking. She listened to his cases, and he let her tell him all about her days even though he deduced them as she walked in the door. He had never been so eager to be in the presence of someone for so long before.

But it was different now in the months since they started living together. She grew quieter, more withdrawn. She stuttered again, sometimes, even though they moved past that ages ago. Sometimes, when she sat next to him on the couch, she drifted off, clearly wanting to be anywhere else. Like the time they had gone out to dinner and run into the press before they could make it home.

"Sherlock Holmes! Who are you taking on your arm now?"

"Mr. Holmes! Is it true that your new lady is related to Janine Hawkins?"

"How long will this one last, Mr. Holmes?"

He had rushed them back to Baker Street and out of the view of the cameras. When he turned to face his Molly though, she had already cocooned into herself.

"Molly, please just ignore them. They have no idea what we've been through together."

"Yeah," she agreed with a nod, but didn't say anything else for the rest of the night.

As she slept beside him, curled against his warmth while he stared down at her, he contemplated the path he knew he had to take. It had been a difficult time deducing his own relationship but it wasn't his happiness on the line. _Molly_ was the important part of this relationship, even if his decision would hurt worse than John's punches.

He had to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

When Molly awoke, she found the sheets cold beside her. It only happened occasionally that Sherlock left the bed before she did, but he could usually be found contemplating a case in the living room, or running an experiment at the kitchen table.

Smiling to herself, she languished on the most comfortable bed of her life. The sheets were silky on her bare skin and the mattress made her feel as though she were sleeping on a cloud. The best part, of course, was the lingering smell of Sherlock that embedded itself deep in her soul and her skin.

Yes, for Molly, life was mostly amazing.

The only fly in the ointment was the rumors starting to circulate at work. A couple of jealous women had started to ask her why the gorgeous, if rude, consulting detective had decided to lower his standards just to get access to the morgue. The press hadn't been helping matters, wondering if the end of their relationship was sooner rather than later based on how much time Sherlock spent at the Watson's home.

Slowly getting out of bed, she took care of business, continuing to think about how much her life had improved by finally getting to be with the love of her life instead of sitting on the sidelines. He was so much more attentive and caring that she had ever pictured, even in her wildest fantasies. He listened to her, even when she knew he didn't care or deduced it already. He took her out to places and kissed her without caring for their audience. He was lovely, really.

Sometimes, though, after a particularly vicious comment by a co-worker, Molly wondered why he chose to stay with her. He couldn't be getting much out the relationship. It wasn't like she was giving him anything more than she had beforehand, except for the shagging.

And if in the dark of the night, she wondered when he would finally decide that she was too boring, too normal for him to keep pretending to care about, well. That was her business. She would continue to try to be the best girlfriend Sherlock could wish for, in hopes that maybe, one day, he would care for her as much as she did for him.

Stepping into the main area, the pathologist looked around in surprise as her boyfriend appeared to be nowhere in sight. With a shrug, she went to make tea, expecting to receive a text later about a case he was called away on.

Instead though, she found a letter leaning against the kettle that shattered her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Dearest Molly,_

 _I have been deducing our relationship and I have come to an unfortunate conclusion: You are unhappy with me._

 _I know that you have spent many years caring for me, and I apologize from the deepest depths of myself that I have failed to live up to your expectations. You deserve only the best and we both know that nearly anyone would be better for you than a sociopathic addict such as myself._

 _Your happiness is paramount in all situations and most especially this one. The only logical conclusion I have drawn is that I leave. I will be gone for at least two weeks out of country on a case for Mycroft. You may take as much time as you need to find a new place. I will stay away as long as you want me to._

 _I have never been as happy never been as in lo- never_

 _I hope you'll be very happy, Molly Hooper. You deserve it._

 _Love,_

 _Sherlock_


	4. Chapter 4

Mary Watson had been many things over the course of her rather eclectic life: an assassin, a secret-keeper, a guardian, a lover, a wife, a mother. And now, she played a listening ear to the broken-hearted sobs of a woman whose life had turned upside down.

"He's gone, Mary! To who knows where for who knows how long! And he just left me a letter!"

This wasn't the first, nor would it be the last time Molly said that, still in disbelief. The blonde had to give her some credit, though. She hadn't started shouting, or demanding retribution. She hadn't immediately packed up her things to move out of the apartment that she and the detective had shared for nearly eight months now.

"Oh, lovey, he just wants what's best for you."

"But he's what's best for me." Molly's big, brown eyes had yet to dry in the half hour since she arrived at the Watson's house.

Mary sighed heavily. "Yes, I know."

Consoling, listening, pouring wine; those were good for the beginning, the start to a path of healing. Now, though, Molly had to listen about how to continue to be patient of the man who thought he was so undeserving of her love.

Reaching out, the blonde grabbed her friend's hand. "Molly, listen to me. You know Sherlock almost better than anyone on the planet. You know he's scared and new to relationships. You know he has no basis for comparison."

"Yes, but why didn't he say anything?"

"Did you say anything about the comments at Bart's?"

Knowing she hit the nail on the head, Mary watched the pathologist squirm for a minute before taking pity on her. "You need to wait for him. He said two weeks at least. If you can hold on for him, if you can just tell him you own worries, then he'll be able to see that there's really no sense in leaving."

Another hour, another two bottles of wine, and another box of tissues later, the ex-assassin was pleased to watch Molly's face grow determined, if a bit glazed over. Their consulting detective might need a lesson in talking things out, but Molly Hooper wouldn't be the one to give up on him.


	5. Chapter 5

When Sherlock walked up the stairs to his flat at 221B Baker Street, he expected Molly to have cleared out, to have left at the first opportunity. He braced himself to find the flat devoid of her little touches of joy and color, of the slightest hint of her presence. He believed that he'd find the flat once again the lonely place it had been between John's wedding and Molly's new status as girlfriend.

Instead, though, he found Molly sitting in his chair, waiting for him.

"Hello Sherlock," she said, quietly, barely audible over the fire in the grate.

He lowered his eyes at the pain in her voice. "Molly."

"How was the case?"

"Why are you still here?" He had never been good at beating around the bush.

She hardly blinked in response. "Do you want me here?"

He slowly stepped towards her, shedding his Belstaff and scarf as he went. "I didn't think you did."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine either."

They found themselves at a standstill, Sherlock next to the armrest of John's chair, Molly staring up at him from his.

Always the brave one, Molly broke the silence first. "I missed you."

"I missed you more than I could possibly say, considering I expected you to not even want to look at me any longer." Encouraged, he took a step closer towards her.

In response though, she rolled her eyes. "So dramatic, Sherlock. You know it'll take much more than that to make me leave."

"And what if I don't want you to leave, hm? What if I want you to stay right here, with me?"

She swallowed, standing to meet him as he took another step towards her. "That- you haven't really given me that impression lately."

He flinches, remember the pain-soaked words of what he had believed to be his good-bye letter to her. "I want you to be happy, Molly. More than anything else, I just want you to always be smiling. I've caused you enough pain to last a lifetime."

"What if I'm happy with you? What if just being here is enough to make up for everything?"

Sherlock swallowed heavily, wanting and hoping and desperately wishing that he still made her happy. "Are you? Is it enough? I thought-"

"I think we've both been thinking too much," she whispered to him, hesitantly wrapping her arms around his waist. He responds in kind, refusing to let his arms crush her to his chest. "Maybe next time, we talk about it instead."

"That sounds like a very good idea, Dr. Hooper."

She laughs and the serious spell that has fallen over them is finally broken. He lets himself bring her even closer and breaths in the scent of formaldehyde and wears that she always wears, once again committing it to memory. If he has his way, he'll never need to worry about forgetting it ever again.


	6. Chapter 6

The rumors of the mousy pathologist and the world's only consulting detective continue unimpeded, even after two years of dating. Just before they can die out though, they're revived by the rings- _rings!_ -on Molly Hooper's left ring finger.

As far as Bart's knew, one day she had nothing on her fingers, the next she shows up with the most gorgeous engagement ring with a smaller, wedding band next to it. There had been no announcements, no banns posted. Just a quick and secretive as you please.

For a while, the rest of the hospital, the press, anyone interested in the life and times of the great Sherlock Holmes placed their bets on a pregnancy and quick baby announcement that never came until another year later. By then, even the most jealous and oblivious fan could tell how in love the pair were. And if you call her Doctor Hooper, both she and a certain consulting detective will be quick to correct you.

After all, it's Doctor _Holmes_ now.

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


End file.
